Safety gas-burner



Patented Nov. 29, I898. S. H. BLUDGETT.

SAFETY GAS BURNER.

(Application filed Fab. 9, 1898.)

(No Model.)

THE NORRIS mm; 00.,wo1mnnq. mnmmu. n cy NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

STEPHEN H. BLODGETT, OF CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS.

SAFETY GAS -BU RN ER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 615,011, dated November 29, 1898. Application filed February 9, 1898. Serial No. 669,636. (No model.)

To to whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, STEPHEN H. BLODGETT, of Cambridge, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety Gas-Burners, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in safety gas-burners, and particularly to improvements in burners by which the gas is automatically turned off if the blaze is accidentally extinguished either by being blown out, smothered by air in the pipes, or by any other means; and the invention has for its objects to che'apen the construction of such burners, to increase their efficiency, and to insure their accomplishing the desired result.

The invention consists of the arrangement and combination of the various devices, as will be clearly described hereinafter, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

The invention is carried out in a manner substantially as illustrated on the accompanying drawings, forming an essential part of this specification, and Whereon Figure 1 represents a front elevation of my improved burner, showing the same in position when the valve is closed and the gas extinguished. Fig. 2 represents a similar view of the burner, showing the same in full lines in position when the gas has just been lighted and in dotted line in position after the gas has been burning for awhile. Fig. 3 represents a plan View of the burner in the position shown in full lines in Fig. 2. Fig. trepresents a side elevation of the burner in the position shown in full lines in Fig. 2.

Like characters of reference refer to like parts wherever they occur on the different parts of the drawings.

The casing 1 of the burner may be of any of the common and well-known forms and comprises all of that portion of the burner between the tip 3 and the spigot 2 of the valve. Immediately below this casing is located the spigot 2 of the valve, by which the gas is turned on or off, as desired, and said casing is also provided with the tip 3, through which the gas escapes, said tip being provided with the slot or opening 4, which governs the direction in which the blaze flares when the gas is lighted.

To the casing of the burner is attached a bracket 5, having two arms projecting upward and outward from the top of the casing and on opposite sides of the tip. This bracket may be permanently attached to said casing or it may be removably attached thereto by being clamped thereon by means of the screw 6, substantially as shown. A block 7 is pivotally mounted at 8 upon one of the arms of the bracket, and a rod or wire 9 is secured, preferably, by means of the set-screw 10 to the opposite arm of the bracket. The opposite end of the rod 9 is secured to-the block 7, preferably by inserting it through a perforation in said block and firmly clamping it therein by means of the set-screw 11.

The block 7 carries two yielding catches l2 and 13, arranged substantially as shown, for a purpose to be clearly set forth by a further description of the device. The connection of the rod 9 to the block 7 is at a position between the pivot 8 and the catches 12 and 13.

The arms on the bracket 5 are preferably so arranged that the rod 9 will occupy a position at one side of, above, andparallel to the slot or opening 4: in the tip of the burner, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, so that said rod may receive as much heat as possible from the gas when lighted without coming directly in contact with the blaze.

The spigot 2 of the valve of the burner is normally held, and preferably by means of the spring 14:, in such a position as to close the valve and shut off the flow of gas through the burner.

The spigot 2 has an arm 15, which projects upward from the same in such a position that when the spigot is turned so as to open the valve and allow the escape of gas from the opening in the tip 3 the upper end of said arm will pass the catches 12 and 13, the latter being directly in its path and yielding to allow the arm to pass it, but springing back to its normal position and catching the arm, so as to lock the spigot against the influence of the spring 14. The catch 12 is located in ad" Vance of the catch 13 and so that the arm 15 moves past it but in close proximity to it when the valve is opened.

The operation of my improved burner is substantially as follows: The spigot 2 is turned so as to open the valve and allow the escape of gas from the tip of the burner. This causes the arm 15 to pass the catch 12 without coming into contact with it and to force the yielding catch 13 to one side until the arm has passed the ledge on said catch 13, when the catch will return to its normal position and prevent the spring 1e from turning the spigot back to its normal position. The gas is then lighted and the heat from the blaze heats the rod 9, causing it to expand. As the rod is attached at one end to a stationary part of the bracket 5 and at the opposite end to the block 7, which is pivoted to the bracket, this expanding of the rod will cause the block, with its attached catches 12 and 13, to turn upon its fulcrum 8. This turning of the block upon its fulcrum will withdraw the catch 13 from contact with the arm 15 and allow the spring 14 to turn the arm toward its normal position; but the movement of the arm in this direction will be arrested by the catch 12, which has meantime been moved into the path of the arm by the turning of the block upon its fulcrum. The arm will remain in this position while the gas burns, as the rod will remain expanded by the influence of the heat. If at any time the gas is extinguished, the heat will be removed from the rod 9, which will cause the rod to contract or shorten and withdraw the catch 12 from contact with the arm 15, and thus allow the spring H to turn the spigot to its normal position with the valve closed and the gas shut off.

From the above description it will be seen that it is impossible for gas to escape from the burner after the light has been blown out and that there is consequently no danger of a person being accidentally asphyxiated by gas even though he is unaccustomed to its use and cxtinguishes it by blowing it out, smothering it, or otherwise extinguishing it without closing the valve and preventing the escape of gas, as the valve will be automatically closed by the spring 14 as soon as the rod 9 cools and contracts sufliciently to withdraw the catch 12 from contact with the arm 15.

The catches 12 and 13 are so constructed that although they resist the action of the spring 1% upon the arm 15 they will still yield when an increased pressure is brought to bear upon the arm 15, which is the case when it is desired to close the valve by hand to extinguish the gas, and without first extinguishing the gas and then waiting for the rod 9 to contract.

The rod 9 is preferably made of a metal which is very sensitive to the action of heat and cold.

It will be understood that the various elements of my invention may be changed within the scope of mechanical skill and well-known equivalents be substituted therefor without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus fully described the nature,construction, and operation of my invention, I

wish to secure by Letters Patent and claim 1. In a safety gas-burner, a spring-actuatedvalve to govern the flow of gas and normally held closed; an arm secured to the valve, and having a limited movement, a stop to limit the movement, and the spring upon the valve having one end connected to the arm, combined with a thermostatic rod, a partiallyturning block, connected to one end of the rod, and operated thereby, catches extending outwardly from the block, and which engage the arm upon the valve, and a supportingbracket upon the burner for the rod and the block, substantially as shown.

2. In a safety gas-burner, a spring-actuated valve to govern the flow of gas, normally held closed, an arm on said valve moved when the valve is opened or closed, a bracket on the burner, a block pivotally mounted on said bracket, a thermostatic rod attached at one end to the bracket and at the other end to the block, and acted upon by the heat from the blaze of the gas when lighted, to turn said block on its fulcrum, and catches attached to said block arranged as described to catch said arm when the gas is turned on ready to light, and to return it when the gas is extinguished, for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses, on this 16th day of November, A. D. 1897.

STEPHEN II. BLODGETT.

Vitnesses:

RICHARD J. DWYER, S. BAYARD THOMPSON. 

